WCHA Weekly Roundup: Nov. 15th-16th

Wisconsin and Ohio State faced off in a thrilling weekend series, while Minnesota and Bemidji State each swept the weekend.

The WCHA returned with a full slate of games this weekend with all eight teams hitting the ice. The series of the weekend was the NCAA Championship game rematch between Wisconsin and Ohio State, with the Badgers’ undefeated streak on the line. Plus, we take a look at the rest of the conference with sweeps and overtime winners on deck for this week’s roundup.

Series of the Week: Wisconsin vs. Ohio State

The top two teams in the country faced off in Columbus for a series that lived up to the excitement. The game did not disappoint with Wisconsin's second come-from-behind win this season defeating Ohio State 4-2 on Friday . The Buckeyes got out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first period with goals from Maddi Wheeler and Jenna Buglioni 14 seconds apart. It looked like this may be the end of the road for the Badgers' undefeated streak but the second period changed everything. Lacey Eden got Wisconsin on the board less than five minutes into the second to cut the deficit to one. Casey O’ Brien then scored to head into the second intermission in a 2-2 tie. Eden then scored on the power play in the third period to seal the game-winner. With four unanswered goals, and three points from Eden and Laila Edwards, the Badgers’ comeback win extended their win streak to 13.

After Friday’s game it felt like this series could go either way and it did with Ohio State pulling off the upset in a 3-2 win. For the second straight game, the Buckeyes got off to a 2-0 start with goals from Makenna Webster and Wheeler within the first 11 minutes of the period. But the Badgers answered back with a power play tally from Kirsten Simms to make it a 2-1 game heading into intermission. After a quiet second period, Kiara Zanon scored her first shorthanded goal of the season for the Buckeyes to give them a 3-1 lead. Wisconsin scored seconds later on the power play to once again make it a one-goal game but with the clock winding down Ohio State’s defense shut down the Badgers’ attempts to tie the game leading to the Buckeyes handing Wisconsin their first loss of the season.

Around the Conference:

Third-ranked Minnesota swept fourth-ranked Minnesota Duluth on the road to extend the Gophers win streak to six. 

After a loss on Friday night against Minnesota State, then No. 8 St. Cloud State managed to pull off the 3-2 win on Saturday afternoon to end a three-game skid. The game-winning goal in overtime came from Sofianna Sundelin, with the sophomore scoring her first career game-winning goal. It was the Huskies’ first overtime win since Nov. 5th, 2021.

Bemidji State pulled out their first series sweep of the season and first since 2022-23 when they beat St. Thomas this weekend with an impressive performance from goaltender Kaitlin Groess, who made 39 saves to secure the sweep on Saturday.

Weekly Awards:

WCHA Forward of the Week: Abbey Murphy - Minnesota

Murphy earned her first honors this season as she was named Forward of the Week. The redshirt senior recorded five points over the weekend to extend her point streak to six games. Her first assist in Saturday’s game marked her 150th career point.

WCHA Defender of the Week: Riley Brengman - Ohio State

Brengman helped the Buckeyes hand Wisconsin their first loss of the season with a stellar performance. She recorded six blocked shots, four of them in Saturday’s game and added an assist in each game for two points over the weekend.

WCHA Goaltender of the Week: Hannah Clark - Minnesota

The goalie made a season and career high 58 saves in the series against Minnesota Duluth with a career-high 31 saves in Saturday’s game. Her record now stands at 6-1-1.

WCHA Rookie of the Week: Kaitlin Groess - Bemidji State

Groess earned her first WCHA weekly honor as she helped lead the Beavers to their first series sweep since the 2022-23 season. She stopped 56 of 60 shots faced against St. Thomas and finished the weekend with a 2-0-0 record.

Looking Forward:

Minnesota looks to keep their hot streak going as they host St. Cloud State. After being dealt their first loss of the season, the Badgers look to bounce back as they host St. Thomas.

Lastly,

A warm welcome to all the new commits across all eight WCHA schools announced this past week! Looking forward to seeing you all on the ice soon!

Weekly Scoreboard:

Friday:

Wisconsin 4, Ohio State 2

Minnesota 4, Minnesota Duluth 1

Minnesota State 4, St. Cloud State 1

St. Thomas 1, Bemidji State 4

Saturday:

Wisconsin 2 , Ohio State 3

Minnesota 3, Minnesota Duluth 2

Minnesota State 2, St. Cloud State 3 (OT)

St. Thomas 3, Bemidji State 4

Full schedule here